Follow
Fraud by employees is the fastest growing economic crime, accounting for between 60% and 85% of all fraud committed against businesses – depending whose figures you believe. The annual Fraud Barometer, published by KPMG, showed a 50% increase in the first half of 2008. Bank related fraud recorded its highest ever year-on-year rate of increase.
In attempting to prevent fraudulent acts being committed by employees a great deal of emphasis is placed on employee screening ahead of employment, either by a firm’s own HR professionals or through third parties, such as employment agencies. Realistically, such measures cannot be relied on to do more than deter and filter out some applicants, with existing ‘form’. Even if effective screening can be afforded at all levels of an organisation, the emphasis on new employees can be misleading. Fraud experts point out that individual fraud is often perpetrated by employees who have a significant length of service. According to the Workplace Law Network ” 90% of fraudulent employees have been with their employer for more than a year – and 20% for more than a decade “
If you can’t keep fraudsters out of your business, robust internal controls will serve to detect as well as to deter.
For more information click here
